


wait, they don't love you like i love you

by earlgrey_milktea



Series: milktea's saso2017 fills [27]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Graduation, M/M, Prompt Fill, that one year gap is suffering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 03:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11394420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgrey_milktea/pseuds/earlgrey_milktea
Summary: kenma watches kuroo pack his childhood away.





	wait, they don't love you like i love you

**Author's Note:**

> original prompt [here](http://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/22341.html?thread=13028165#cmt13028165)  
>  _playlist:_  
>  Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps 
> 
> prompter asked for 'second year/third year graduation problems' so i am here to deliver,,

“Kenma, where’s the duct tape?”

“It’s over there,” Kenma says, without lifting his head up from his PSP. 

Kuroo sighs. “Can you pass it to me? I’m afraid if I let go of this box it’ll explode.”

Kenma lets out a long sigh. He stands up to grab the tape anyway, though he isn’t happy about it. The box Kuroo is sitting on is the last one. Everything else he needs is already packed up and ready to be shuffled downstairs into his dad’s car, to be driven off to a dorm away from here. Away from Kenma.

“You know, you don’t have to stay here and pretend to help me,” Kuroo says, not unkindly. He knows Kenma and he knows how Kenma doesn’t like to be pushed. He knows how Kenma comes and goes, and he knows that Kenma doesn’t want to be here watching him pack his entire life away into neat cardboard boxes. 

“I know,” says Kenma. He sits back down on Kuroo’s bed. It has new covers, plain ones, only to be used for tonight before the move. “I did help sit on your suitcase. You have so many clothes.”

“Hey, a guy’s gotta look good, you know? Especially in university. No more uniforms, you know how happy I am about that? I can finally wear stuff that makes my stupid hair look intentional.”

“You’ll look like a no-good punk.”

“But a hot one.” Kuroo does that smirk thing where he lifts his eyebrows at Kenma and widens his eyes comically. Kenma rolls his own eyes, turning away to hide a smile.

He focuses on the scribbled poster of the periodic table taped above Kuroo’s desk. It’s been up there forever, and Kenma can remember afternoons sprawled across Kuroo’s legs on his bed, staring up at the poster while waiting for his game to load. He’s accidentally memorized most of the table by now, though he still has zero interest in chemistry, unlike his best friend. But Kuroo loves it, and now he’s setting off to pursue it in post-secondary. Kenma should be proud—and he  _ is, _ he’s just. Reluctant, Kenma supposes. 

It’s not like they haven’t been through this before. This would be the third time. Kenma should be used to it by now, watching Kuroo go one step ahead of him, crossing that line between senior year and beyond. Kuroo will be fine. Kenma knows that. Kuroo has always been fine, always louder, braver, better at putting aside his own introversion to make friends, to lead. Kenma has always been the one following behind, steadily but too slowly, always chasing. 

Kuroo will be fine. Kenma knows this, and it’s exactly why he almost can’t bear to let his best friend go.

“Hey,” Kuroo says, setting down the tape. He pats the box once, and then, satisfied, stands up to make his way over to Kenma. He sits and bumps his shoulder against Kenma’s, soft smile playing at his lips. “You don’t have to look like you’re attending my funeral. It’s just uni.”

Kenma frowns. He turns away slightly. “It’s too far,” he mumbles.

“It’s just a train ride away.”

“An hour and a half each trip.”

“Okay, fine,” says Kuroo, laughing. “But you know you can still text me whenever right? We do live in the age of technology, Kenma.”

Kenma looks down at the pause menu on his game. “I know.” 

He doesn’t say,  _ You’re going too far away.  _ He doesn’t say,  _ I’m going to miss you. _  He doesn’t say,  _ I wish you could stay.  _ He doesn’t say,  _ I wish I could go with you. _ He doesn’t say,  _ You’re going to be fine, but they won’t know you like I do. _

“Come on, Kuro,” Kenma says instead. He stands, pocketing his PSP. “They’re all waiting for us at Yaku’s. You’re going to be late to your own party.”

“Yeah, I can’t let Yamamoto eat all the cake without me.”

If Kuroo slips his hand around Kenma’s fingers, and if Kenma squeezes back, neither of them comment on it. They leave the door of Kuroo’s childhood bedroom open as they go.

**Author's Note:**

> kuroken will always be my first love  
> @puddingcatbae on tumblr or twitter


End file.
